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Ladies Learn About “God’s Lemonade” at Woodbridge Church Retreat

Story by Brenda Black
Published 11/10/11

Synergy is the best word to describe what happened when the women of the Woodbridge (Va.) church hosted a one-day women’s retreat at the Hylton Memorial Chapel and Christian Events Center in Woodbridge. Pastored by Rick Jordan, the Woodbridge church is richly diverse with members from most parts of the world. Filipinos, Hispanics, Africans, Russians and Canadians as well as people from the Caribbean, India and other parts of Asia make this their church home. Members felt blessed to witness the beauty of what God can accomplish when a group of women from such widely diverse backgrounds set their hearts on glorifying Him.

Retreat attendees came from as far north as New Jersey and as far south as North Carolina, bringing with them their girlfriends, neighbors, co-workers and workout buddies. The 126 ladies, from the food service crew to the event speaker, were in one accord with the event’s theme and purpose: to bring women together and show them “that God can turn lemons into lemonade.”

Guest speaker Sylvia Matiko, author of Lemons to Lemonade: Finding God’s Plan for My Life, shared her life story of rebelling against religion, even while attending a Seventh-day Adventist academy and graduating from Andrews University (Mich.). The story of how God made Himself real in her time of desperate need inspired and encouraged the women. The day also included prayer sessions, special music, comical skits and a dance ministry to bless the attendees.